Rutgers Basketball

Robert Barchi is the 20th president in the history of Rutgers University. In the past 48 hours, Barchi has been in the spotlight after the release of video tape containing shocking footage of head men's basketball coach Mike Rice abusing his players during practice, with Rice being fired (via CBS News).

Here's what I can tell you. Robert Barchi is a neuro-scientist. He became the president of Rutgers in September of 2012 with a lot to take care of at the public institution. With more than 100 distinct bachelor degrees and an equivalent number of graduate opportunities, Barchi inherited a lot of responsibility. Not to mention that Rutgers has campuses in New Brunswick, Piscataway, Newark and Camden. Not exactly a small school environment to say the least.

One of his biggest priorities, and a big reason why he was hired, was to help Rutgers as they prepare to absorb the University of Medicine and Dentistry following the state approval of the merger. This merger is huge for Rutgers, which is also a member of the Association of American Universities, making it a top-75 research institute in the nation.

His background is in science, business and education—not sports. 

Tim Pernetti, the Director of Athletics for Rutgers, has a bit of a different background. He is a Rutgers alumnus and a former member of the football team, where he played tight end. He moved on to a successful career in sports media where he learned the ins and outs of the business and economics of sports.

When Pernetti became the AD at Rutgers in 2009, there was a lot of optimism surrounding the hire. Pernetti lived up to the expectations, making bold hires (including Mike Rice), improving facilities and eventually breaking through by moving Rutgers into the Big Ten Conference.

You can see how both of these men stepped into a lot of work at Rutgers and have a lot to deal with during a typical day on campus. You may also see the separation and difference between their bodies of work and what goes on under their watch. The bottom line is that Robert Barchi is the president of the institution, and Pernetti is trusted to take care of the whole sports aspect.

Robert Barchi must look to push Rutgers forward as an academic entity, build a reputable medical school, and must also look out for the hundreds of other programs at Rutgers. Tim Pernetti has to worry about one program, the athletic program.

Pernetti and Barchi are certainly joined at the hip as the two were publicly involved in the school's move to the Big Ten. Barchi emphasized the importance of the move as far as academics and research were concerned, while Pernetti chimed in with talk of the powerhouse conference from a competition standpoint.

With this said, once the Big Ten press conference was over, Barchi returned to duties and trusted that Tim would take care of his athletic department. That is why they hire departmental directors at universities.

What we know is that Mike Rice should have been fired immediately upon review of these tapes. What we are unsure of is how the situation was presented to Barchi, and how serious he thought it was. The tone with which the situation was presented to Barchi makes a big difference in all of this, especially if he did not see the tapes until a day or two ago.

If Barchi was told "Mike Rice was yelling at players and being a little rough, but we talked and he is sorry," I could see how Barchi could see a suspension being a worthwhile penalty.

It is hard to believe that if he was told "Mike Rice was using gay slurs and pegging kids in the head from close range," he would have let Rice off that easy.

I'm going to give Barchi the benefit of the doubt and say that this was probably downplayed initially. He could have done more, yes, but he also trusted a man in Pernetti, who has been at Rutgers longer than Barchi, to handle the disciplinary action.

Now, with all of his other important duties still looming, Barchi could lose his job because of a lack of judgment and communication within the athletic department. I am in no way downplaying the situation, but let's be honest: Barchi has way more to worry about than basketball practice.

He trusted Pernetti to handle the situation, as he should have, and Pernetti dropped the ball. Barchi is a scientist and a scholar. If the medical school merger fails, that is on him. If the engineering department loses its accreditation, that's on him. If he wastes the state's money, that is most certainly on him. But a basketball practice? A basketball coach? That's on Pernetti.

Should Pernetti be fired? I'm not sure yet. The one thing I do know, however, is that Robert Barchi most certainly should not lose his job. He has way more important things to deal with, and has everything else moving in the right direction.

There's absolutely no excuse for what Rutgers head basketball coach Mike Rice did. 

None.

Rice deserved to be fired after the video of his behaviors during basketball practices surfaced. It showed Rice bellowing curse words and gay slurs at his players if they were doing something wrong, and him hurling basketballs at the student athletes, whether it be at their legs, chests or in one case, at their heads. That video shows Rice as an actual bully. Simple as that.

There's no question he should have been fired. The biggest question is this: Why did he finally get the ax now?

It turns out that Rutgers athletic director Tim Pernetti was given a copy of the video last November. From that, Rice was suspended for three games, fined $50,000 and ordered to take anger management. But he kept his job.

In hindsight, that's a little more than a slap on the wrist. He should have been fired in November, but he wasn't. And that opens up an argument as to why Pernetti should be fired as well, but that's for another time.

No one deserves to be the leader of a group of young men if their anger takes them to the point of verbal abuse and physical violence. To be sent to anger management is the least of what his punishments should have been. 

In a statement to WABC-TV, Rice seemed remorseful (via ABC News):

Again, as I stated three months ago, after I watched the video, how deeply regrettable those actions, I also stated I was going to try and work on changing, and I think I've accomplished a lot of that. I can't say anything right now except I'm sorry, and there will never be a time where I'm going to use any of that as an excuse or will there be any excuse. 

His behavior has destroyed his career; there's no doubt about that. But should he be barred from coaching basketball ever again? 

No. 

From the video, he seems to truly understand the gravity of his actions and it looks like he regrets being that fiery. That's the first step in the revival of his career. 

For those of you who believe he should never coach again, think about this: he's been to anger management. Maybe he's been to more sessions like that since November, and perhaps he's found a way to control his attitude. In other words, what if he's a changed man?

This situation will knock him down, and deservedly so. But to bar him from coaching ever again? He doesn't deserve that. What he does deserve is only being able to find the most average of the average high school coaching gigs in the country. Exile him until he proves he can control his temper and truly be a leader on a basketball team. Make him work his way back up slowly so that he appreciates the journey back. 

Everyone deserves a second chance. If Rice screws up again, then yes, he should be banned from coaching any kind of sport for the rest of his life. 

How do you feel about Rice's future prospects? Let your thoughts be known in the comments section.

It has been a tumultuous 24 hours for Rutgers University and its athletic department. Just a day after video of  head coach Mike Rice assaulting his players verbally and physically went viral, Rice has lost his job, and athletic director Tim Pernetti has had to answer a lot of questions.

The question I ask, however, has not to do with the debacle, but rather the good that can come from it moving forward. For Pernetti, learning from what has occurred under his (questionably) watchful eye is crucial.

As a Rutgers alum, I have seen both high and low times on the banks of the Old Raritan. I was there when Rutgers football beat Louisville in 2006, I was there when the women's basketball team dealt with the Don Imus situation, I was there when Eric LeGrand was injured, I was there when Fred Hill went ballistic on baseball umpires and lost his job, I was there for the Tyler Clementi tragedy, and now I can say I was there to watch our "fiery" head men's basketball coach work his magic.

What have we learned from these headlines? We have learned that the public loves stories like these, and that the world of social media has changed privacy for everyone. Whether it be Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, anyone can have an opinion, and anyone can break a story.

What blows my mind is that Rice continued his actions knowing that he was on film. Furthermore, Rutgers basketball practices are open to the public, yet Rice's antics never wavered. It took a whistle-blower, it took an ESPN story and it took public scrutiny for Rice to finally get what he deserved.

Moving forward, Rutgers needs transparency with its fanbase and the national media. In a country that has a love/hate relationship for college sports and its policies, the fact that a three-game suspension and $50,000 fine seemed adequate is questionable at best.

Pernetti has been transparent and vocal about his triumphs as Rutgers' athletic director, but triumphs can easily be overshadowed when you are publicly embarrassed in a situation like this one. Hindsight is 20/20, as they say, but for Pernetti, the firing of Rice should have been a no-brainer. Not only would he have saved himself from the recent scrutiny, but he would have made a bold move that most alums and loyal fans would have deeply respected.

As he looks at what is best for the university, he should start with an explanation. An explanation of his standard for Rutgers, the parameters of that standard, and how he plans to enforce and promote that standard in the future.

Having been a student at Rutgers, I can say that the mostly liberal campus is up in arms right now. At a place that saw a former undergraduate student commit suicide following bullying from his roommate, the fact that we had a bully as a public representative of the university is no small matter.

In hiring the next head coach, Pernetti has no choice but to hire a good guy first, and a good coach second. It almost goes without saying that if the next head coach so much as high-fives a player with too much force, both he and Pernetti will be gone. 

Tim Pernetti has done wonders in his short tenure at the helm of Rutgers Athletics. Headlined by his recent move to the Big Ten conference, it seemed that Pernetti was a mover and a shaker. His reputation will not only be defined by his success, but also how he deals with attention like this in the country's biggest sports media market. To save his reputation (or what is left of it), truth must come first, even before wins and losses.

Can good come from this? Yes. Rutgers can hire a fantastic head coach, keep recruiting hard and make noise in the Big Ten. Rutgers can also be honest with their fanbase, alumni and faculty, promising that the right priorities are in order. That would be a start.

Either way, whether good or bad comes from this down the road, we have all learned that this is no longer a society that buys into "tough-love" in sports. We have also all learned, from this story and millions of others, that there is always an eye watching, an ear listening and a cell phone recording.

The Rutgers family received bad news this past weekend when it was announced that leading scorer Eli Carter broke his leg and will miss the rest of the season.

Considering the Scarlet Knights have dropped seven of their last eight games this season, which was supposed to be a jump to the top half of the Big East standings, has seemingly gone from bad to worse.

What do I mean by "seemingly," you ask?  

Have you ever heard of the Ewing Theory?  Prolific columnist Bill Simmons borrowed the theory from his friend Dave Cirilli, and it is explained here.  In a nutshell, the theory originated when Cirilli noticed that Patrick Ewing's teams tended to play better with him out of the lineup.  

In 1999, for example, Ewing went down with a torn Achilles tendon in the Eastern Conference Finals, and then the Knicks fought back to defeat the heavily favored Indiana Pacers.

Another example would be Drew Bledsoe going down with an injury in 2001 and Tom Brady emerging to rally the Patriots from middling to Super Bowl Champions.  

Back to Rutgers.  

As a Cincinnati Bearcat fan, I have seen Rutgers play twice this season.  In both games, I saw a hint of negative body language from Carter's teammates as he repeatedly hoisted ill-advised shots and rarely shared the basketball.  Yes, Eli Carter has been Rutgers' leading scorer, but take a look at his numbers:

14.9 ppg, 38.4% from the field, and more turnovers than assists.

Look for fellow guard Myles Mack to benefit from Carter's absence.  Mack is averaging 13.2 ppg and is shooting over 50% from the field, including 45% from behind the arc.  

Carter has taken 77 more shots than Mack this season.

Let the Ewing Theory test begin tonight-- Rutgers travels to Villanova as a 10-point underdog.  The Scarlet Knights will have two big chances the first week of March (at No. 11 Georgetown and vs. No. 17 Marquette) to provide further data.

The No. 10 Florida Gators fell 85-83 through two overtimes to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in a shocker on Thursday night.

If you have been paying attention to Rutgers' season, however, it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise.

Sure, Florida has had a very good start to the season, losing only to No. 1 Syracuse and No. 2 Ohio State in very tight games.

However, Rutgers has quietly been putting together a respectable season as well.  While they had no serious wins on their schedule up until Thursday, four of their five losses have been of six points or less. They dropped games to Miami (15 points), Illinois State (six), Richmond (five), LSU (five) and Princeton (two).

They brought their solid 44-percent shooting into Thursday's contest with the Gators and improved it throughout the game.

Their 48-percent shooting night was highlighted by a 12-for-24 performance from freshman guard Eli Carter. He scored 31 points and added seven rebounds and seven assists. He was involved from the beginning to the end of the game, making plays on both ends of the floor for the Scarlet Knights.

Here are several of Carter's plays that deserve attention:

18:18 left in 1st—Carter scores Rutgers' first basket

8:52 left in 2nd—Carter makes a layup to tie the game at 51

3:43 left in 1OT—Carter blocks a Gators shot

20.0 left in 1OT—Carter makes three-pointer to tie the game at 76

2:59 left in 2OT—Carter makes shot to go up 80-78

1:50 left in 2OT—Carter scores to go up 82-78

The Scarlet Knights would hold on to that final lead and beat a ranked opponent for the first time since last February, when they beat No. 10 Villanova.

Rutgers faces South Florida on New Years Day, kicking off their Big East schedule.

When St. John's Dwight Hardy possibly stepped on the baseline while scoring the winning basket for the Red Storm against Pittsburgh on February 19, many basketball fans around the country thought that Hardy's foot was out of bounds and that the basket should not have counted.

Those fans, particularly the ones that cheer on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, have a lot more to gripe about after the Red Storm won another controversial game at Madison Square Garden, this one being more important considering it took place in the Big East Tournament.

Today, the controversy was caused by the referees missing two blatant calls in the final seconds of St. John's 65-63 victory over Rutgers. 

Following a made free throw by D.J. Kennedy that pushed the Red Storms' lead to two points with only five seconds remaining in the game, Justin Brownlee of St. John's stole an in-bounds pass that bounced off a couple players near mid-court before landing in Brownlee's hands.

From there, Brownlee dribbled once before taking three steps and walking out of bounds while throwing the basketball in celebration.

In fact, he nearly ran into his coach Steve Lavin, who already was on his way to shake hands with Rugters' head coach, Mike Rice.

What Brownlee and apparently the refs didn't realize was that Brownlee had traveled with around two seconds remaining on the clock and his foot was clearly out of bounds with 1.7 seconds still left in the game.

The refs walked off the court before the Rutgers staff and players had a chance to protest the no-call, and that was it. Rutgers' season had ended while St. John's will get to continue in the Big East Tournament.

Within 40 minutes of the completion of the game, Big East Commissioner John Marinatto publicly admitted that there were two seperate errors made by the veteran officiating crew in the closing seconds of the game.

Even if Rutgers was able to get the ball back, there is no saying whether or not Rutgers would have tied or won the game with only a few seconds left on the clock. More than likely, it would have taken a miracle shot for the heavy underdog Scarlet Knights to advance in the tournament and extend their season.

The final result of this game might have been the same if Rutgers had gotten one last chance to score, but at least it would have prevented a lot more controversy and negative attention towards the Big East and their officials.

There was a robbery in New York at Madison Square Garden Wednesday afternoon. The suspects were three referees who took away multiple opportunities for the Rutgers men's basketball team, to upset St. John's in the second round of the Big East Tournament.

The first incident occurred when Rutgers' senior guard, Mike Coburn, drove the middle of the lane, drew what should have been obvious contact and missed a layup that would have tied the game. Coburn's missed shot took a nasty ricochet as Red Storm and Rutgers players alike went after the loose ball.

Replays confirmed what the naked eye could see, or should have seen; a push in the back of a Scarlet Knight by a St. John's player. However, there was no foul called and the referee deemed that the Rutgers' player had touched the ball before it went out of bounds, so it was St. Johns' ball.

When St. Johns led 65-63 with a few seconds left to play, Rutgers inbounded the ball. It was a heave just past mid-court to Rutgers' freshman forward, Gilvydas Biruta. Biruta seemed to have control of the ball until a St. Johns' player seemed to go over the back, which is also listed as a foul in the rulebook, of Biruta and dislodge the ball.

This is when the action became especially chaotic and controversial. Senior Red Storm forward, Justin Brownlee, confiscated the loose ball and began running with it out of bounds with approximately two seconds remaining.

The referees did nothing. They walked off the court with every member of the Rutgers' bench screaming at them, as they had a right to do.

There were three or more missed calls that, if called correctly, could have spelled a memorable upset victory for Rutgers.

It was a simple matter of lost composure; the referees didn't want the game to be in their hands. They let the players play, illegally.

St. John's has played great all season, but they know they got away with one. 

*Update- the three referees have withdrawn from the remainder of the Big East Tournament

The rivalry between Seton Hall and Rutgers is not appealing to the rest of the Big East fanbase, but in New Jersey, it is.

Whenever both programs play each other, there are always different chapters of this state rivalry.

There has been taunting by both programs. Brawls take place by both teams. Coaches took shots at each other over the years. Both try to outrecruit each other in New Jersey.

Pride brings out the best of both programs. The principals used this rivalry for their own self-interest. Coaches need it to maintain their job security, and player want to showcase their talent to NBA scouts.

Rutgers head coach Mike Rice and Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard experienced this rivalry for the first time this season. Their team played each other twice, and both teams received a win apiece.

They met again yesterday afternoon in the Big East tournament, and this time, it was more than bragging rights. It was about getting an opportunity to beat St. John's in the next round this afternoon. They want to finish their season on a strong note and get ready for next season.

This contest featured lot of suspense as one would expect.  It was about physical play and timely shooting.

Rutgers started the first half well, but Jeremy Hazell spearheaded an 8-0 run to get Seton Hall back in the game with his shooting. Seton Half ended the first half with an 18-8 run to take a 32-26 lead at halftime.

The Hall continued to hit shots to start the second half, and they took a comfortable lead. Rutgers couldn't find a go-to guy to score throughout the game until the final minutes of second half.

Jonathan Mitchell was hot at the right time for Rutgers. He found his shooting touch by draining in some shots and scoring layups to put them in the game.

With both teams trading leads in the final minutes, Rutgers shot some free throws to put them in a position to win the game in the end.

It appeared Rutgers had this win until Hazell hit a 3-pointer to send this game into overtime.

With the game being great down the stretch, it was fitting this game was going to overtime. Both programs exhausted themselves in pulling all the stops to win that game.

This was about will when it came to overtime. That's where Rice's intense style paid off for Rutgers. He always pushes them with physical practice. He wants his guys to toughen up and go at it at all times.

Rutgers was the well-conditioned team in overtime, and it showed. They wore out Seton Hall by pushing them to turn the ball over, and they were able to score points from it. They wanted it more. They were not going to be denied. That's why they survived and advanced.

A team takes on an identity of the coach, and Rutgers serves as an example. Rice is known to be intense, and it rubbed off on the team this year. They go at it, and they always come out prepared in their game.

Rice needed this more than Willard. He needs to get some Big East Tournament wins for this program to make progress. Close losses doesn't make the program better. If he can get today's victory against St. John's, then he has something going for his program next year and beyond.

Plus, he has to show his team's fanbase that he can beat Seton Hall. Too many Rutgers coaches could never beat their state rival, and it cost them their jobs.

It's always good to see both teams play well no matter their record, but for this rivalry to be special, both teams have to be great at the same time. That also means playing against each other for the Big East tournament title and in March Madness.

The games get better if both teams play for something significant other than bragging rights.

If both programs are good at the same time, it would give the state exposure and it would increase their ability of keeping kids in Jersey rather than go to another Big East program.

It would be nice to see both teams start beating up on St. John's, Syracuse, Connecticut, Georgetown, Villanova and West Virginia. It's no fun watching them beat up on each other and losing to other Big East teams. It makes this rivalry worthless and uninteresting. People outside of the country would laugh at New Jersey for getting worked up on both bad programs playing each other.

It's time for both programs to start improving. With no more NBA team in New Jersey after next year, the spotlight will be on both Jersey programs. The folks in New Jersey want something to watch when football season is over, so the onus is on Rutgers and Seton Hall to do something.

This game by both teams stood out everything that should make the Garden State proud, but it should be about more than just playing a regular season game.

Another chapter in the Rutgers-Seton Hall Garden State rivalry will begin Saturday at noon at the Prudential Center.  Ten of the past 12 meetings between the two schools have been decided by either six points or fewer.  This one should be no exception, as both seek to remain as far from the Big East basement as possible.  Rutgers and Seton Hall are 2-4 and 2-5 in conference play, respectively, so this game could decide who stays in the hunt for a top ten Big East finish.  With all of these storylines, among others, let’s take a look inside this sure-to-be-great matchup.

Rutgers

Rutgers is coming off of a 71-62 win over South Florida on Thursday night.  The Knights got off to a quick 8-0, but the Bulls clawed back and the two teams were knotted at the half, 25-25.  The Bulls came out strong after intermission, taking a 30-25 lead in the early going.  Then, James Beatty caught fire for the Scarlet Knights.  Beatty hit three three-pointers in a row.  Then, Dane Miller capitalized the Rutgers run with a thunderous jam to push the Knights to a 36-30 lead.  Once again, the Bulls pulled back and the two teams were tied once again, 44-44.  Then, James Beatty hit another three and the Knights lead for good.  Beatty and Jonathan Mitchell both had 20 to lead Rutgers to their second Big East victory.

Keys to the game.                                                                                             

1. Give James Beatty the Ball. James Beatty was electric from distance in the second half against the Bulls.  He hit four threes at the most opportune times, but this is not the first time Beatty has hit key threes.  Against Georgetown, Beatty hit a couple of huge threes, including one that cut the Hoyas lead to four with nine minutes to go.  Against Marquette, Beatty hit six threes and kept Rutgers in striking distance the whole way through.  Against Providence, Beatty pushed a 35-35 tie to a 41-35 lead for Rutgers in the early part of the second half.  Clearly, when James Beatty is shooting, the Scarlet Knights are in good shape.

2. Keep Playing Pressure Defense. Rutgers has been playing on-ball, pressure defense all year with Mike Rice at the helm.  With their lack of size, their best chance at getting a stop is by forcing turnovers, which they do very well.  They will need to play up on their Seton Hall counterparts, as the Pirates shoot well from the outside and love high-scoring games.  They must pressure Jeremy Hazell, as he can shoot from virtually any spot on the court (he knocks down nearly three three’s per game for his career). 

3. No Wasted Posessions. Rutgers isn’t the most proficient offensive team to say the least.  Their halfcourt offense has looked horrible at times.  Therefore, they can’t turn the ball over on careless plays or take ill-advised shots, as every possession is precious for the Knights.

Seton Hall

Seton Hall gave Georgetown all they could handle in an 80-75 loss to the Hoyas.  Seton Hall played a pretty good first half, but still trailed 38-31 at half time.  In the second half, the Pirates didn’t come out strong, until a 19-2 run gave them a 52-45 lead with 12:13 to play.  Seton Hall maintained a comfortable lead until the Hoyas stormed back and took the lead 74-73.  The Hall was down 76-73 in the final minute when Jordan Theodore hit a deep shot for Seton Hall.  It was called a two since Theodore’s foot was on the line.  After two Hoya free throws, the Pirates trailed, 78-75.  Georgetown fouled with eight ticks to go so Seton Hall couldn’t tie the game.  That plan worked and the Pirates were defeated in a close one.

Keys to the Game.                                                                                                                                                      1. Hit Free Throws. The Pirates missed critical free throws against Georgetown late in the game.  For the game, they shot just 11-18 from the charity stripe.  If the game against Rutgers is a close game, which it might very well be, the end result could be decided at the line. 

2. Get Out in Transition. There is a very telling statistic about Rutgers.  They have not lost a game when holding their opponent to 65 points or less, but are 1-7 when failing to do so.  Seton Hall wants to see this game go well into the 70’s, as that will give them their best shot at winning.  To make this a highs-scoring affair, Seton Hall will have to push the ball off of Rutger's misses.  If their transition game is effective, the Pirates will be in business.

3. Hit Threes. This one might be the most important of all.  Against then No. 4 Syracuse, Seton Hall played the Orange extremely close in a 61-56 decision.  They did this without the superb three-point shooting of Jeremy Hazell.  His absence was evident, as SHU missed all 13 first-half threes and went 3-26 for the game.  If they hit 10 of those, they would have been in great position to take down the Orange.  If they want to win games, the must hit a good percentage of their threes.

Key Matchup

Gil Biruta vs. Herb Pope.  It’s a given that both teams will hit their fair share of threes and mid-range jumpers, so the game will be won in the trenches of the painted area.  The rebounding battle between Biruta and Pope will be paramount to the victor of this game. Look for the winner of this battle to lead his team to victory.

Tune in tomorrow at noon on SNY to see this battle between Rutgers and Seton Hall.  It should be a thriller.